Billet conditioning apparatus



March 17, 1942. J. H. BUCKNAM ETAL 2,276,759

I BILLET CONDITIONING APPARATUS Originai Filed April 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Shaet 1 I x. V W

INVENTORJ .JAMES H. BUCKNAM ALFRED .MILLER 5 7 BY E ATTORNEY March 17, 1942. BUQKNAM ETAL 2,276,759

BILLET CONDITIONING APPARATUS Original Filed April 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T agfi W A m g I a a 5% :3 To 0 5 a g m 0 E8 .m' 0 aka I :i' o

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n 80 E i 3 P" INVENTORS' JAMES H. BUCKNAM- I ALFRED MILLER ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1942 2,276,759 BILLET counmonmc APPARATUS James H. Buclmam, Cranford, and Alfred J. Miller, Garwood, N. 1., assignors to The Lindc Air Products Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application April 24, 1937, Serial No.

138,717, now Patent No.

ary 13, 1940.

2,189,753, datedFebru- Divided and 1 this application August 19,1939, Serial No. 291,020

15 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of conditioning metal bodies, such as steel ingots and billets by means of oxidizing gas streams; and more particularly to an improved apparatus for quickly cutting off, or cropping, the scrap ends of steel ingots or billets and other ferrous bodies and for thermo-chemically removing surface layers of metalfrom such bodies.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 138,717 filed April 24, 1937, entitled Billet conditioning method" now issued as Patent No. 2,189,753, on Feb. 13, 1940.

Steel ingots are usually formed by pouring molten steel into vertical moulds. As the metal cools, gas bubbles and impurities rise to the top of the ingot forming a defective end that contains porous metal and usually a shinkage cavity or pipe. In some cases the top portion of the mould is formed (pf-refractory material in order to keep the metal in a molten state for a longer period to reduce the depth of pipe; this portion is known as a hot top. The portion of the ingot that solidifies in the refractory part of such mould is also called a hot top. Such "hot tops as well as defective ends of other ingots are generally cut oil or cropped preferably at some suitable stage of rolling. In casting the ingot many surface defects in the sides of the ingot occur which also must be eliminated before the ingot is subjected to semi-finishing operations. Furthermore, semi-finished shapes that are formed from the ingot, such as billets, blooms, slabs, and the like, have irregular end portions, andtheir surfaces contain additional defects which must be eliminated. These irregular ends are cut off and the surfaces are desurfaced to improve them for subsequent rolling. This surface metal removing operation may be accomplished by suitable apparatus for progressively applying anoxidizing stream obliquely against and lengthwise of the surface while the latter is at an ignition temperature. Such apparatus usually includes a row of blowpipes, having nozzles adapted todeliver jets of heating and oxidizing gases, these several nozzles preferably being sufliciently close together to provide a single wide high-temperature heating'flame and an associated single relatively wide oxidizing stream of substantially the same width as.the surface to beconditioned. The width, as well as the contour or vertical and horizontal camber of shapes requiring surfacing vary, and therefore the surface-removing apparatus should be sufficiently flexible to be capable of economically and uniformly performing the surfacing operation on metal bodies of different widths and form.

Heretofore, a cast ingot was usually cropped by a hot-shearing operation forming a shear burr at the cropped end, making it difllcult to start a desurfacing operation'at all four end edges thereof. Furthermore, surface-removing operations have been started near one of the irregular ends of the semi-finished shapes and progressively advanced to the other end thereof,

thus a portion of the surface-removing operation was applied'to a portion of the shape that was subsequently scrapped. It is not only difflcult, but also wastes time and gas to begin a metal removing operation at an irregularlyformed end edge of a billet.

Inasmuch as ingots and billets weigh several tons, their handling during preparation for rolling is an important factor of the cost of the finished product.

The principal objects of the invention are: to provide improved apparatus for quickly cutting oil, or cropping, the irregular waste end of an ingot, billet,-bloom, slab or other semi-finished steel shapeprior to the beginning of a surfaceremoving operation; to provide improved blowpipe apparatus for squaring the ends of such shapes in combination with blowpipe apparatus for desurfacing the shapes; to provide an intercontrolled system within an improved combined apparatus for cropping such shapes and desurfacing their surfaces, so that the apparatus for desurfacing will be automatically rendered nonoperative when the apparatus for cropping is in operative position; and to provide improved mechanism for supporting, manipulating and adjusting cropping-off and desurfacing blowpipes more effectively and economically to perform the end-cropping and metal-removing operations.

The above and other objects and the novel features of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a multiple unit blowpipe machine embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-4 of Fig. 2.

Broadly, the invention comprises means, such as an assembly of blowpipe units disposed side by side, to produce a wide and substantially continuous metal-removing stream of gaseous heating and oxidizing agents, supported in such position with respect to a billet surface from which a. layer of metal is to be removed that the metalremoving stream will impinge obliquely against and lengthwise of the surface across its entire width or a substantial portion thereof. together with a cutting-torch assembly adapted to deliver gaseous heating and oxidizing agents for cropping off the waste ends of such billet. The supporting means is common to both assemblies and is adapted to move them back and forth lengthwise as well as transversely of the billet, and also to permit a limited longitudinal and perpendicular adjustment of both assemblies relatively to the billet surface.

The blowpipe assembly for desurfacing, the cutting-torch assembly for cropping the waste ends of the metal bodies, and the supporting means therefor, as shown, comprise a travelling crane structure C; a supporting abutment S depending therefrom; a linkage system L carried by the abutment S; a plurality of desurfacing blowpipe units disposed side by side and separately carried by the linkage system adjacent a ferrous metal body or billet P; and a cutting torch assembly T. Each desurfacing blowpipe unit comprises a blowpipe head H having a nozzle N thereon which delivers gaseous heating jets and oxidizing jets of relatively low velocity and large volume, and the several blowpipes and nozzles are sufficiently close together to provide a substantially continuous heating flame as wide as the surface and an associated oxidizing stream of the same width. The cutting torch assembly T is mounted adjacent the desurfacing blowpipe unit and delivers gaseous heating jets and an oxidizing jet of relatively high velocity for cropping the waste ends of the billet P when a portion of the crane C is moved transversely of the length of the billet.

Referring to Fig. 1, the travelling crane C comprises a frame having wheels |2--|2 and |3--|3 thereon by means of which the frame may move forward and backward along rails |4--|4. The frame llcarries thereon a platform l5 upon which an operator may stand and ride with the frame. The frame also supports a motor l6 and a clutch I1, with the usual op erating lever |8, clutch control rod I9 and rheostat I9 for propelling the frame along the rails |4-|4 all more fully disclosed in application Serial No. 732.668, filed June 27, 1934 by Homer W. Jones and Edmund A. Doyle and now issued as Patent No. 2.223.451.

The motor I6 is preferably reversible and its speed is adjustable by regulating the rheostat' l9 as hereinafter described.

Carried on the frame, and forming a part of the crane C. is a pair of tracks 20 perpendicular to the rails |4|4. A cross-carriage 2|, likewise forming a part of the crane C, has wheels 2222 and 2323 whereby it may move alongthe tracks 20-20 on the frame perpendicularly to the movement of the frame along the rails |4|4. The carriage 2| is moved back and forth along th tracks 2|l--20 by means of a reversible motor 24 mounted on a support 25 attached to the carriage 2|, or by manually rotating a handwheel 22' fixed to an extended end of the axle on which one set of wheels 22, 23 are fixed. As shown in Fig. 2, the motor 24 is in driving engagement with a shaft 25' to 7 which the other pair of wheels 22 and 23 are fixed. Specifically, the motor 24 is connected to a variable speed transmission device 25 by coupling 27. The variable speed device 26 may be any suitable type such as Transitorque" which provides stepless speed changes through a desired range of adjustable speeds and is provided with a sprocket 28 which is aligned with a sprocket 29 mounted for free rotational movement in fixed axial position on shaft 25'. A chain 29' transmits motion from the speed reducer '26 to the shaft 25. One part 38 of a clutch is fixed to the freely rotatable sprocket 29, and another part 3| of said clutch is splined to and axially movable along shaft 25'. An operating rod 32 extends from the clutch element 3| to a position adjacent the operator's platform l5.

The supporting abutment S is rigidly suspended from a horizontal slide 33 carried by longitudinal dovetailed grooves 34-34 (see Fig. 1), in the carriage 2|. The slide 33 is adjustable relatively to the carriage 2| by a pinion 35 journalled in the carriage and meshing with a rack 35 secured to the slide 33 and extending longitudinally thereof. Thus, turning the pinion 35 will move the slide 33 forwardly or rearwardly on the carriage 2|, depending upon the direction of rotation of the pinion 35. A bevel gear 38 mounted on an axle journalled in the carriage 2| meshes with a bevel pinion 39 secured to the end of a shaft 40 journalled in the carriage 2| and substantially perpendicular to the axis of the gear 38. By turning a handwheel 4| keyed to the shaft 40, the operator may turn the pinion 39. the gear 38, and the pinion 35, to move the rack 36, and with it the slide 33, forwardly or rearwardly of the carriage 2|.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the abutment S comprises a vertical guide 42 rigidly depending from the slide 33 and having stiffening ribs 43-43 on the rear side thereof. The connection between the guide 42 and the slide 33 is braced by angle plates 44, only one of which is shown in the drawings. The guide 42 has a groove 45 formed centrally lengthwise of the front side thereof; and unitary vertical flanges 4646 extend laterally of the guide 42 along opposite sides of the groove 45. A vertical shaft 4'! held against axial movement, is journalled in the horizontal slide 33, and extends below the latter and along the groove 45. The lower end of the shaft 41 is threaded and engages threads in a vertical slid 48 having its rear face 49 in sliding contact with the front face of the vertical guide 42. Longitudinal flanges 5050 secured to the vertical slide 49 extend endwardly over and slidingly engage the rear surfaces of the flanges 46 on the guide 42. The shaft 41, being threaded into the slide 48, provides means for adjusting the height of the latter along the guide 42. Thus, the operator upon the platform I5 may turn the shaft 41 by means of a handle 5| to raise or lower the slide 48 with respect to the crane C and perpendicular to the metal surface to be treated.

The vertical slide 48 has pivoted thereto a pair of vertically extending link-plates 52 and 53, one at each side thereof. Each link is pivoted to the slide 48 at two points axially in line one above the other. so that the links 52 and 53 are free to swing horizontally or parallel to the surface undergoing treatment. The forward ends of the links 52 and 53 are each pivoted at two points vertically in line with a vertical supporting plate 54. Since the links 52 and 53 are of the same length, they support and swing the plate 54 always in parallel relation to the slide 48. A. pair of vertically aligned lugs 55 are formed at the top and bottom of the plate 54 adjacent one vertical edge on the front face of the latter; and pivoted coaxially to these lugs are two correspondingly aligned lugs 51 formed at the top and bottom, on and adjacent one vertical edge of the rear face of a main support member of blowpipe carrier 59. Only one of the lugs 55 and 51 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Means is provided for varying the angular position of the blowpipe carrier 59 with respect to the support 48. A pair of parallel metal strips 60 and 6| are respectively secured to the opposed faces of the plate 54 and the carrier 59 and project laterally beyond the Two vertical edges of the plate 54 and carrier 59. Coaxial holes are provided adjacent the ends of both strips, and an adjustable bolt 62 passing through the strips 60 and 6|, fixes the angular relation between the carrier 59 and the plate. As shown in Fig. 2 and as more fully shown in Patent No. 2,223,451, the blowpipe carrier 59 is adapted to support a series of vertical supporting bars 64 in a manner permitting them to swing upwardly or downwardly and still remain always in vertical position.

A second vertical supporting bar 65 is adjustably connected to each bar 64 by means of an upper horizontally adjustable link 66 and a lower horizontally adjustable link 61. The pairs of links 66 and 61 are of equal length, and therefore carry the bar 65 always in vertical position, while permitting horizontal angular displacement thereof when the bolts which secure these links to the bars are loosened.

The individual blowpipe heads H are narrow in order that the jets delivered by the several blowpipes will produce a substantially continuous metal-removing stream extending completely across the face of the billet or body to be desurfaced. Obviously, the number of blowpipes used depends upon the width of the surface to be removed. The blowpipe units are separately carried by the linkage mechanism L above the billet P in the following manner: each blowpipe head H has a pair of brackets 68 and 69 secured, respectively, adjacent the upper and lower ends of its rear face. The bracket 68 has a vertical hole therethrough and the bracket 69 has a downwardly extending pin 10 formed thereon. A blowpipe head H is removably secured to each of the bars 65 by means of a bolt passing through the hole in the bracket 58 and into a threaded hole in the top of the bar 65, and the pin 10 enters a hole or socket T2 in the lower part of the bar 65. Since the bolt II and the pin 18 are not coaxial, the connection between the blowpipe head and the bar 65 will be rigid. Any blowpipe head H may be quickly removed from the apparatus by unscrewing the bolt 1| and lifting the head from the bar 65.

The desurfa'cing gases used by the blowpipe units, e. g. a mixture of oxygen and acetylene to provide the heating flame and oxygen to provide the oxidizing stream. are supplied individually to the units through hose connections attached to the tops of their heads H, such connections being generally indicated in Fig. 2 at '73.

For the purpose of cropping off the waste ends of billet P to provide square end edges, a cutting torch assembly T is mounted on the carriage 2| that supports the desuriacing blowpipes. As disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3. a pair of Z brackets I4 and 15 are mounted at the upper and lower portions respectively of one side of the blowpipe carrier 59. The brackets are adapted to support the cutting torch assembly T in spaced relation to the carrier 59. .A supporting plate I6 is fixed to the ends of Z brackets 14 and I5 opposite those which are fixed to the carrier 59. A pair of bevelled-edged tracks 18 are fixed to the forward surface of plate 16 and form a. dove-tail slide bearing with a slide 19'. A T-sectional member 19 is fastened to slide 19', and the torch 8| is mounted on the free leg thereof. Vertical reciprocation of the torch 8| is accomplished b providing a rack 83 on the rear surface of slide 19, the teeth of which mesh with a pinion 84 mounted on a shaft 85. The shaft 85 is supported in bearings 85 extending from the rear surface of supporting plate 16, and it is rotated by turning a handle 88 mounted on its one end. A longitudinal slot of greater width than the gear 84 is provided in plate |6, thereby permitting the gear 84to protrude therethrough for cooperation with the rack 83. Thus it is seen that torch 8| may be moved downwardly into operative position relative to billet P, or upwardly. out of such operative relation by turning handle 86 in one or the other direction. The'torch 8| is adapted to receive oxygen and a preheating medium such as a mixture of oxygen and acetylene through the conduits 82 from the same sources that supply the gases to the desurfacing blowpipes. The conduits 82 are surrounded by a wall 82 of a cooling chamber through which water is adapted to circulate.

For the purpose of preventing movement of the crane C lengthwiseof the billet P when the cutting torch 8| is lowered into operative position, and therefore to prevent damage to said torch by its striking the end of said billet, means is provided for rendering the means which drives the crane C lengthwise of billet P non-opera-' tive when torch 8| is in operative position. In

the embodiment-d sclosed, a limit switch 81, see

Fig. 2, is mounted on the bracket 14 in such position that a circuit breaking handle I4 of said switch is adapted to be thrown in or out by engagement with an abutment or lug 88 on the vertically reciprocable torch 8|. The switch 81 is wired in series with the motor I6. and upon lowering torch 8| into operative position, the lug 88 will engage handle 14' and move it to open the electrical circuit of motor I6. After the cropping off operation has been completed, the torch 8| is raised out of operative position and lug 88 thereupon moves the circuit breaking handle of switch 81 to complete the circuit for motor l6.

For the purpose of preventing the over-running of carriage 2| of the crane C, means is provided for interrupting the electrical circuit of motor 24. This has been accomplished by providing another limit switch 90 onithe under portion of carriage 2|, see Fig. 2. The switch 90 is connected in series with the electrical circuit for the motor 24, and it is provided with an operating lever 9|. A pair of angle members or stops 93 are located at each end of the track 20 defining the limit of movement of carriage 2| thereon. One leg of each angle member 93 has affixed thereto an abutment 92 extending into the path of travel of the switch operating lever 9|. Thus, it is seen that transverse movement of the carriage 2| will be automatically discontinued in the event the operator neglects to disengage'the clutch element 3| at the proper time.

Briefly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows: The blowpipe units H are assumed to be initially adjusted in line and so that the nozzles N will together deliver continuous wide associated streams of heating and oxidizing agents obliquely against and lengthwise of the billet P to be conditioned. Standing upon the platform IS with the blowpipe heads H, the cutting torch II and the billet P in view, the operator closes the proper switch for causing the motor 24 to rotate in the desired direction and adjusts the motor speed for correct transverse movement during the cutting operation. He then lowers the blowpipe 8| into operative position with respect to the waste end portion of the billet P thereby breaking the electrical circuit for motor IS. The operator then turns on the preheat flames of torch 8| which raise the temp'erature of the billet P to an ignition temperature at the point where the cut is to begin. He then slowly turns on the cutting oxygen valve of torch 8| and subsequently engages the clutch elements 30, II by moving the rod 32 in the proper direction, to propel the carriage II in the desired direction along the rails 20 and across thebillet at a short distance' fromits end to sever the waste irregular portion and leave a square end.

; After the cutting operation has been completed, the operator disengages clutch elements 30 and 3| and raises the torch 8| out of operative position, thereby closing the break in the electrical circuit of motor It. The operator next closes a starting switch (not shown) having three buttons (forward, reverse, and stop), to start the motor I6 and then manipulates the rheostat box |9' to adjust the motor speed and pushes the control rod I! to his right or left as required to throw in the clutch H to move the crane C in the proper direction until the nozzles N are horizontally in line with the squared starting end of the billet P,

Vertical and horizontal adjustment of the nozzle carrier may be made by turning the handles 22' and 4|, until the nozzles are located accurately relatively to the conditioned starting edge of the billet surface. The preheating mixture is then turned on and ignited and, as soon as the previously formed straight edge of the billet P has been raised to an ignition temperature by the preheating flame, the oxidizing gas is turned on. Thereupon, the control rod I! is moved to engage the clutch IT, to propel the assembly forwardly lengthwise of the billet at the proper speed, whereby the complete top side of the billet is desurfaced.

When the top surface of the billet has been completely desurfaced, the crane frame will have reached the far end of the billet, whereupon the v billet may be cropped close to this end, in a manner similar to the cropping at the starting end. When conditioning a rectangular billet with the apparatus shown, the billet must be turned about its longitudinal axis through an angle of 90 to present the next side for desurfacing, and so on until all four sides are desurfaced; but the cropping is necessary only once and at only one end for each billet, since the single or initial severing operation by the torch 8| will produce square edges at the starting ends of all four sides. After each side has been desurfaced the crane frame is returned to the initial position and adjusted laterally in line with the billet to start and carry through a'desurfacing operation on the next side presented. Also, in machines for simultaneously desurfacing all sides of a rectangular or multisided billet, a single initial cropping of the billet close to the starting end provides a square edge at the starting end of each face of the billet end, since these square edges are all in the same plane, this insures that the desurfacing operation will without departing from the principles of the in-' vention. For example, other types of propelling,

supporting and adjusting mechanisms may be utilized; the desurfacing blowpipe apparatus and the cutting blowpipe apparatus may be stationary and the billets may be propelled relatively thereto; and some or all features of the invention may be utilized in machines having surface-removing blowpipes disposed horizontally relatively to a vertical surface, instead of vertically relatively to a horizontal surface, and in which the cutting torch may be inclined forwardly in the direction of cutting in order to increase the rate of cutting, rather than disposed vertically as here shown. The conditioning machine de cribed herein may also be employed for cutting steel slabs lengthwise as well as transversely and if it. is desired to simultaneous-1y cut a slab into more than two parts, two or more cutting units similar to the blowpipe T may be mounted on the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for conditioning a metal body such as a steel ingot -or billet and the like comprising, in combination, cropping means for cutting off a portion of said body near one end thereof to provide a square edge at the starting end of a surface to be treated; desurfacing means for removing a layer of metal from said surface; a carriage for supporting both said cropping means and said desurfacing means for movement relatively to said body; mechanism for adjusting said cropping means and said desurfacing means on said carriage and relatively with respect to said surface of said body; and means for propelling said carriage both transversely of and lengthwise of said body.

2. Apparatus for conditioning a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet and the like, as claimed in claim 1, in combination with means operative to prevent the movement of said car-' riage lengthwise of said body while said croppingmeans is in position to cut oil! a portion of the end of said body.

3. Apparatus for thermo-chemically treating a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet, comprising the combination of means for supporting said body in a position to present a surface thereof for said treatment; a cutting torch for applying an oxidizing stream against said surface; blowpipe means for applying a wide row of heating flames and in effect a wide oxidizing gas rierv and the cutting torch and blowpipe means thereon along said guide.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said carrieris slidable along said guide, and said cutting torch is slidable along said carrier.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said carrier is adjustable about an axis perpendicular to said surface.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said blowpipe means is movable about an axis perpendicular-to said surface independently of said cutting torch and carrier.

7. Apparatus for thermo-chemically' treating a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet having a surface positioned for such treatment, comprising the combination of a carrier; a vertically reciprocable cutting torch; means for mounting said torch on said carried arranged for moving said torch into and out of an operative position (or applying an oxidizing stream against said body; electrically operated mechanism for moving said carrier and said torch thereon transversely of the metal body; a desurfacing blowpipe supported on saidcarrier for applying an oxidizing stream obliquely against said surface of said body; an electrically operated device for moving said carrier and said desurfacing blowpipe thereon lengthwise of the body; and means for rendering said lengthwise moving device inoperative when said cutting torch is lowered into operative position.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim '7, in which said electrically operated mechanism comprises a carriage adapted to be moved along rails transversely of said 'body by a motor mounted thereon, and means for limiting the travel of said carriage comprising a circuit interrupting device associated with said carriage and said rails.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim '7, in which said device comprises a crane adapted to be translated lengthwise of said body by a motor, and upon which a carriage for supporting said carrier is mounted for movement transversely of said body.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim '7, in which said means comprises a circuit interrupter operatively positioned and arranged with respect to said cutting torch for actuation by vertical movement of said torch.

11. Apparatus for thermo-chemically treating a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet having a surface positioned for such treatment, comprising the combination of a cutting torch adapted to be vertically moved into and out of operative position with respect to said surface for cutting off the waste end portions of said body; a blowpipe for applying an oxidizing stream obliquely against and lengthwise of said surface of said body: a carrier for said torch and blowpipe; mechanism for mounting said torch on said carrier providing vertical movement of said torch into and out of the operating position; electrically operated means for moving said carrier and said blowpipe thereon lengthwise with respect to said body; and means mounted on said carrier adapted to cooperate with means on said cutting torch for making and breaking the circuit of said eectrically operated means when said torch is moved in the vertical direction.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, in which said circuit making and breaking means comprises a switch provided with an operating handle extending outwardly therefrom and in alignment with an abutment on said torch, whereby vertical reciprocation of said torch acts to make and break said circuit.

13. Apparatus for thermo-chemically conditioning a ferrous metal body such as a steel ingot, bloom'or billet, having an irregular end, which comprises blowpipe means for concurrently applying a high-temperature heating flame and a relatively high-velocity jet of oxidizing gas against said body near said irregular end; mechanism for adjustably supporting said blowpipe means and adapted to move said blowpipe means transversely of the length dimension of said body to sever said end and provide a straight square end edge; another blowpipe means adapted to apply a relatively wide high-temperature heating flame and a relatively wide low-velocity oxidizing stream obliquely against and lengthwise of a side of said body; means for adjustabl'y supporting said other blowpipe means on said mechanism adapted to accurately align said heating flame and said oxidizing gas stream at said square end edge and relatively to the length dimension of said body; and means for relatively moving'said mechanism and said other blowpipe means thereon lengthwise of said side of the body to remove a layer of surface metal uniformly from one end to the other end of the body.

14. Apparatus for conditioning a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet and, the like comprising, in combination, cropping means for cutting off a portion of said body near one end thereof to provide a square edge at the starting end of a surface to be treated; desurfacing means for removing a layer of metal from said surface; a carriage for supporting said cropping means and said desurfacing means for movement relatively to said body; mechanism for adjusting said cropping means and said desurfacing means relatively to said carriage and said body; means for propelling said carriage both transversely of and lengthwise of said body, said propelling means including a variable speed motor operable through a clutch device arranged to propel said carriage lengthwise in either direction and a separate reversible motor operable through a speed regulating device to propel said carriage transversely for moving said cropping means to cut off a portion of the body and for moving said desurfacing means into operating position with respect to the cut end.

15. Apparatus for thermo-chemically treating a metal body such as a steel ingot or billet, comprising a frame adapted to be moved longitudinally of said body; a carriage movably supported on said frame for movement in a direction transversely of said body; a carrier movably supported by said carriage for vertical adjustment with respect to said body; a cutting torch for applying a relatively high velocity oxidizing gas stream against a surface of said body; means for mounting said cutting torch on said carrier providing vertical adjustment thereof into and out of operative position with respect to said surface and maintaining said torch in either of said positions; blowpipe means for applying a heating flame and a desurfacing gas stream obliquely against and lengthwise of said body for removing surface metal therefrom; and mechanism for supporting said blowpipe means on said carrier providing free movement of said blowpipe means with respect to said body to maintain, during the longitudinal movement of said frame and blowpipe means, said blowpipe means in an operating position irrespective of variations of said surface. said mechanism including means operable to accurately adjust said blowpipe means vertically with respect to an end edge of said body produced by the operation of said cutting torch.

.JAMES H. BUCKNAM. ALFRED J. MILLER. 

